Head protector



July 17, 1934. F. RIGHTMIRE 1,967,067

HEAD PROTECTOR Filed Sept. 14, 1952 INVENTOR, Fmn /rZz'w ifyhme're,

BY E I ATTORNEY,

Patented July 17, 1934 omen sures mm OFFICE 2 Claims.

Many persons are prone to catch a cold in the head or to inflammation of the sinuses when sleeping in a draft. The object of this invention 1 1 is to provide a shield to protect the head against draft, the same to include, with a barrier unit defining a head-receiving pocket within it and having appreciable height relative to a human head laid in the pocket, a separate casing of flexible fabric for enclosing the barrier unit and if) enveloping each horn thereof and including a web portion that extends across the lower portion of the pocket, such casing being designed to protect the unit from soiling by the sleepers ;.1 head and being removable for cleansing as occall.5 sion requires. In the preferred form the casing carries a flap adapted to extend across the upper portion of the pocket and hence over the users head, as when he desires to cover his head as ywell as to protect it laterally from drafts. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan of one form of the barrier unit;

Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the line 22, Fig. 1;

y Fig. 3 is a plan of the complete shield in its preferred form;

Fig. l is a section on the line 8--8 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows the shield in use, in side elevation; and r Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modification.

The general form of the barrier or barrier unit is in plan more or less U-shaped, so that when it lies on a sleeping support, whether a bed with or without a pillow, a couch or the ground, etc., it will embrace the upper part of the sleepers 35. head, one horn of the U being preferably of such limited length as not to be an appreciable obstruction to the users breathing when he lies on his side, though the other horn may be longer 1 3$ shown in Fig. 1. It extends around the upper half of the sleepers head, and it should have such thickness (vertically) that its top will not be substantially lower than the then upper side of the head. In Figs. 1 and 2 the barrier 1 is a hollow generally U-shaped body formed say of rubber or other flexible material and adapted to be inflated and for that purpose having an inflating nipple 2. This form of the device is adapted to be used with a pillow, and with the pillow in use its thick- 5 ness when inflated should be such (Fig. 5) that its top surface will not be materially lower than the then upper side of the face. When in position the sleepers head is received in the space ---;or pocket 3 formed between the iorns 4.4a of the barrier, and in order not to interfere with the users breathing (if he rests on one side) one horn (as 4) may be shorter than the other, the superior length of the latter adapting it to protect the back of the neck as well as of the head.

The construction is such that, whereas the barrier protects the whole upper region of the users head (01', as indicated, also the back of his neck) from drafts, there is ample ventilation, since the barrier, while fitting more or less closely around the upper part of the head, permits such ventilation between the lower ends of the horns, and in the form now being described is also open at the top, that is, it exposes the upper side of his face.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the barrier 11, here having its horns of equal length, has a fabric case or covering 12, simulating a pillow case in function, this being formed so that its under side will assume a plane, as 12a, but its upper side will have such fullness that it may be depressed into the recess between the horns of the barrier and lie flat. In other words, the case embraces the barrier unit and has portions respectively enveloping the horns thereof, the case including a web portion (as 12a-12b) that extends across the lower portion of the pocket.

As an additional protection against drafts there may be a flexible wall 13 attached to the barrier and preferably in the form of a flap which can be thrown back when the users head is placed in or removed from the barrier. In Figs. 3 and 4 this flap is shown removably attached to one horn of the barrier by buttons 14, it having button-holes 15 to receive them.

In any case the barrier is arranged on the sleeping support to crown. as I term it, the wearers head, that is, it is arranged with its horns projecting toward his feet with his head in the recess between them. And its height (or thickness) approximately equals the elevation from the portion of the support on which the barrier rests (as the portion 16 of the pillow 17 in Fig. 5) to the highest portion of the sleepers head.

The barrier, when hollow, may have instead of the inflating nipple, a filling aperture 15, provided with a removable plug 16, whereby it may be filled with hot water to be used as a hot water bottle crowning the head, as shown in Fig. 6.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is:

1. A shield, adapted to be placed upon a pillow to protect the head of the user from drafts, comprising a barrier unit and a separate casing, said barrier unit including a complete casing which when distended is of substantially U-shape and defines a pocket of a height and width to immediately encompass and keep drafts from a human head laid in said pocket, said separate casing consisting of a flexible fabric enclosing the barrier unit and having a generally tubular marginal portion of substantially U-shaped form in plan enveloping the barrier unit and including top and bottom walls both of which extend across the pocket substantially covering the space between the limbs of the U-shaped barrier, the top wall being of greater area than the bottom wall and lying within the pocket in contact with the lower wall, whereby the walls may freely conform to a pillow underneath the shield.

2. A shield, adapted to be placed upon a pillow to protect the head of the user from drafts, comprising a barrier unit and a separate casing, said barrier unit including a complete casing which when distended is of substantially U-shape and defines a pocket of a height and width to immediately encompass and keep drafts from a human head laid in said pocket, said separate casing consisting of a flexible fabric enclosing the barrier unit and having a generally tubular marginal portion of substantially U-shaped form in plan enveloping the barrier unit and including top and bottom walls both of which extend across the pocket substantially covering the space between the limbs of the U-shaped barrier, the top wall being of greater area than the bottom wall and lying within the pocket in contact with the lower wall, whereby the walls may freely con- ,form to a pillow underneath the shield, and a FRANKLIN RIGHTMIRE. 

